Knowledgeable and genuinely nice Professor. Does a good job covering the material and preparing you for the real world with his experiences. I thought this class was supposed to be more difficult though. Make sure you get a good group for the project who have presentation skills.

This prof is really enjoyable to learn from as he has valuable consulting experience and focuses on applying concepts to case studies rather than textbook terms. It's hard to get a bad grade in this class as he is extremely helpful.

Thomas Shirley is a good guy. Class is engaging and interesting. Make sure to do your reading as there are pop quizzes. Class is challenging if you DO NOT show up to class and DO NOT do the assigned reading. If you keep up with everything, its not too bad. Ive been learning a lot in his class.

This class is not a problem if you study and keep up with all the readings, and there are a lot of readings. He is very helpful and approachable. Very clear of what he is looking for from his students. Take his class and receive more emails from a professor then from your friends.

Get ready for teacher hazing.... in a good way! This professor doesn't play paddy cake with his students... He takes your strategic thinking to the limit and puts you on the spot.. This teacher makes you appreciate the reason you're in school.. which is to have a COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE over others in the work force...

Excellent professor with superb real world experience. Teaches students to prepare them for the real world...paraphrased from professor: ...your next job won't require you to write a 25 page research report, so neither will you have to do this in this class...presentations and executive summaries make up large part of grade.

SJSU finally hit the professor jackpot. Don't be fooled by the posh appearance, he's approachable and genuinely interested in helping students. Probably the most accomplished professor the COB has ever had. Don't try to BS him though.

Hes awesome. Hes got that real world experience and does not go off into weird tangents like some other professors. Read and study and PARTICIPATE in class and you will do fine. Dont let the babyface fool ya, hes been around and knows what hes talkin about. Ladies (and a few gentlemen) this guys a looker, dont be surprised if you start checkin him

I have to say professor Shirley is one of the best professor at SJSU. Just like one of the other reviewer said, SJSU is very lucky to have Prof Shirley teaching for them. His lecture is super clear. The class consists of two presentation, two exams, and quizzes every class. It seems like a lot of work, but it is super easy. I will miss him.

Awesome professor. Lectures were interesting because he did not teach from the text book but more from his real life experiences. If you want to take a class where you actually learn something you can apply in the working world, take Professor Shirley?s class. He was also very fair and generous with his grading

Awesome class!

He's awesome!!! I would highly recommend him if you really want to learn about business world. His teaching style is TOTALLY DIFFERENT from all the professors that I took in my school life. His class is not boring, even it's a 3hrs class. He's very helpful. 1 midterm, quiz every chapter+2 group presentations,final +bonuses.

This professor has 10+ years of industry experience working as a consultant for McKinsey and GE. Easy to understand and follow. Class structure makes it possible for everyone to get an A. Provides extra credit opportunities and gives more than 100% for the midterm presentation/paper. Highly recommended! Get in this class at all costs!!

Easy professor. Very helpful and easy to understand. Will learn a lot from this class. His experiences makes this class interesting. Just do the reading, quiz for every chapter.

he has 10 years of experience in the industry and very helpful when it comes to explanation. he cares about his students and gives really good suggestions for the project. he is very strict on the logic but in the end of the class, everyone had much better idea in business strategy. definitely recommend him!

He is absolutely great! Class is very engaging. He has experience in the field so taking this class is very useful if you want to become a manager of any sort. Take his class serious & not only will you do well, but take away a lot of useful knowledge. Did I forget to mention he is a cool dude, just be lucky enough to take his class & find out! -ST

Thomas Shirley is a really knowledgeable professor. He wants his students to learn and not memorize concepts. I got an A in his class because I did all the work, attended class and participated in class discussions. If you want an easy class, then you shouldn't be in college. Overall, he is a great professor, and I definitely recommend him.

Mr. Shirley is one of the best professors I've taken with in SJSU. He inspires students to study harder, work harder; he especially guides us to know how to enjoy and live a better life. You'll learn a lot from him. He's just a little bit hard in order to make us study and earn our own grades. Put some efforts, you'll get an A.

What a great professor! Engaging, funny, and a definite looker. If you expect to breeze through his presentation, you will be blindsided. He holds all students accountable for doing their best in the group project. Worked for us, as we were more motivated to meet his standards. I wish he was my life coach! Take him for PSYC117

Great class! Amazing prof! One of the good ones! International travel and stories. Speaks over 6 languages. Gives great advice. Inspirational. Cares about his students and what they become. Wants you to truly learn and excel.

If you have the opportunity take this class! He is one of the best professors. His class is full of discussions and he relates everything to personal stories which are interesting. Even for a 4 hour class, I never felt tired or wanted to sleep. Just show up to class and do good on the online quizzes and group project and you should be good.

On the first day of class, he makes the class sound scary to the point where I almost drop but I really like his class. Class is always shorter than what it's suppose to be and his tests aren't that hard. Find a good group like I did and the class will be a lot easier for you. People say that he's mean but I thought he was super nice and helpful.

I took BUS162 as part of my study abroad at SJSU. Shirley was probably the best professor I have had so far in Germanythe US. He is giving very clear instructions, so if you take his class seriously, you will not just learn about business, but also about how to succeed later on in life. Excellent professor with a great personality, RECOMMEND HIM!

Professor Shirley has been a blessing this semester. I definitely recommend taking him. Its only halfway through the semester and I have an A. Relates the class to real world situations, lectures are interesting and keep you engaged.

He's straightforward and gives off the vibe that he could care less, but he's definitely sweet and actually pretty dorky. Don't be intimidated. Tell him of uncertainties or unclear things- he'll sort it out with you. He's understanding and likes good effort. He's also fairly true to himself which is admirable and makes it easy to talk to him.

Professor Shirley seems genuinely interested in sharing his knowledge and experience with you. He definitely has a big personality and specific brand of humor, I believe that's why he has some negative reviews here. He made class entertaining. Workload pretty easy/straightforward. Tests were kind of hard, but there were only 2. Groupwork-centric.

Shirley's lectures sometimes run too long on one topic with his anecdotes from his real life experience as an executive. The online quizzes are taken before lecture, but the questions are very specific so you HAVE to read the textbook to get an A. Group projects can be annoying, this isn't an easy A, but could be an interesting class.

Great class. Great teacher. Lots of advice. He has traveled a lot and experienced a lot so there is a lot of lessons that can be learned from him. Cares about his students. Even spent two days giving us helpful future advice like mortgage or no mortgage, rent, career choices, etc. There is one group project so beware of that. Choose your teammates

May not be the easiest professor, but I think of him as that one professor that makes college worth it. Very inspirational and relative lectures to comparative management experiences. He sends weekly emails about updates regarding weekly quizzes, 2 group case analyses, 1 midterm. Stay for the final lecture day about career management. Worth it.

Looking for an easy A? This is the wrong class. Grade consists of ten 100 point quizzes worth 20%, two group projects at 15%, one Midterm at 25%, one group paper weighted 5%, and one Final Exam worth 25%. Shirley has a unique type of humor, and has a no nonsense approach to work. Stay for the two career management presentations: they are worth it.

Shirley is one of the most knowledgable professors I've had who strongly believe in education, not just teaching. He shares his wisdom and has a no nonsense attitude. First day and onward, it's all about it's in the real world. Knocks unfair questions off exams, group centric (pick wisely). Participate. Don't be late. Lectures on exam. Read book.

great, insightful lectures. dont expect to slack off and do well in this class. Definitely not an easy A class, expects students to be prepared. Will not remind you about due dates! Will learn a lot from his class.

Regardless of how little knowledge I had prior Thomas made sure that by the end of the semester I knew it well. He is really funny and he really cares about his students. The best part is that he teaches in a way that you will be able to use the material outside of class and in the real world.

For not being a business major he made it really easy to learn some basic concepts, how to apply them to the real world, and my psychology major. Take him you won't regret it.

If only every professor at SJSU was like Professor Shirley !

I think he truly cares about students having learned something more than only class material when they finish his class. He talks a lot about career, but he just wants you to succeed & find happiness in life. Easy online quiz on each chapter. Class material all on PowerPoint so no textbook req'd. Put effort into your 2 group projects/presentations

2 Group project and midterm and final. Make sure you choose good group members. Teacher is the best I've ever taken. Makes class fun, super inspirational and really cares for students. Gives career advice whenever he can and doesn't teach from the book. but what you will use in life. Highly recommended, he will change your life. Keep it up prof.

Take him if you want to learn. Very inspiring and teaches you great business tips that you can apply in the real world. There isn't much work in this class besides 2 projects and a final exam. The exam was somewhat difficult, but he provides extra credit and if you do them all I believe it's an added 10 points. Weekly quizzes are simple.

Professor Shirley is one of those professors who genuinely cares about his students' success. He often enjoys sharing his experiences as a former executive. His class was not hard: two presentations, a couple of quizzes, and two exams. If you take his classes, don't be afraid to speak up and answer questions (Even if you are guessing).

Make sure you pick a good group for your group project because the entire semester is working with your group members on a project! Also, come to class because if you skip it, you will miss a lot of valuable information that is on exams. If you put in effort and study, it's an easy A!

Professor Shirley is very strict and hard teacher. He's hard in order to allow his students to get a taste of what it is like in the real world.

Professor Shirley is an amazing resource at SJSU. He is overqualified for his job and teaches because it is his passion. He genuinely cares about student success! That being said, if you want a good grade you must participate and know your stuff. I would recommend taking him. invest time in the class, pay attention, and respect him. Take him!

Professor Thomas Shirley, I can honestly say, he is an amazing professor, who really inspires you, and really gets you ready for the REAL world. I took him for 2 classes this semester, BUS 160, & BUS 187. He's a BOSS, and if you pay attention and get everything done the right way, he will turn you into one to :-) !

He tells you what he expects the first day of class. As long as you are responsible and apply yourself you will do fine. There are group projects, but don't worry they are graded individually. If someone in your group isn't doing their share, he wants you to tell him so he can grade accordingly. Overall a great teacher who cares for his students.

He gave was the only professor who gave me an add code it was my first semester and I was really nervous but he really cares about his students and wants to set them up to succeed in class and in life. There is a group project midterm and final and I didn't get to pick my group but we are all such good friends now. I actually look forward to class

This Professor is awesome because most professors wouldn't really take time to really comprehend what's intended for a student's ability to learn without being rushed. Also by knowing he'll make your life brighter than it already is because he gives and presents wonderful lectures to students. I can go on & on about him but, I'll let you choose.

Shirley not only teaches students relevant material from the respective class, but also prepares students for their career. I've taken him twice & he is an exceptional professor, if you study you'll do great! Why choose a class that's an easy A and learn nothing? Put in some effort and gain long-lasting knowledge from Prof. Shirley

VERY INTIMIDATING AND STRICT! When it comes to presentations, he grills you with questions so make sure you know your facts and be able to defend them. The class is very application based, from test questions to essays, you have to be able to apply the concepts to real-world scenarios. He is very inspirational when it comes to career management

A healthy dose of reality... Dr. Shirley runs the class like a manager runs a work team. You must provide quality output for your grade - much like your employer expects value for your paycheck. Dr. Shirley will teach you to analyze, and think critically. If you challenge yourself by taking this course, you WILL come out better on the other side!

Thomas Shirley is one of the few professors who will actually teach you valuable life skills in the corporate world. He really cares about his students and the class consists of exercises to show real world team building skills. He makes it clear he is not there to baby anyone so don't pull any kind of laziness on him. Best professor!

Professor Shirley, is a great professor who cares about his students and teaches them about corporate life lessons, so he does conduct a lot of team building exercises. He doesnt really give you a detailed outline on assignments, because he wants you to be creative as possible (like in the real world). He has given me useful tips for my career.

It's an easy A if you pick the right group to be with cause everything is groupwork

Do the assignments and youll get an A. He is not good at explaining how to do things, instructions are always unclear, but he makes himself available for help if you need it. He will prioritize reviewing topics with the class until everyone understands what he wants.

Group project heavy class but pretty easy overall. Lectures, quizzes, in-class exercises every week. Quizzes are open note however and the in-class exercises he grades pretty easily. Provides a lot of EC opportunities which makes it an easy A. Exams are lockdown cam. Clear grading criteria for projects, but at times can be strict. A solid choice!

Saw reviews and was scared at first but Thomas was the goat. Really great professor and cared about students. Theres no busy work and the only real hw is the reading and semester long project. Really learned a lot about leadership and enjoyed hearing from someone successful in the business field. Most definitely would recommend.

hes pretty strict and doesnt mess around when it comes to lazy students that half ass their work. hes really bold and will say things how they are. he wont sugar code anything but overall his class was easy. just show up and you should be good. quizzes are weekly. one midterm, final exam, and midterm and final group project.

Thomas is pretty chill, the syllabus definitely makes him look scarier than he actually is. A bit of a stickler for phones if he catches you not working on in-class exercises on it. Assignments are really easy, and the semester project is not as hard as it seems. Really fun class (might be class dependent), and it's nice to hear his success stories

Took for winter session. Chapter quizzes and 2 group projects/presentations + 1 group paper based on presentation. Lectures consist of his ppts and graded in-class group work so can't skip class. Easy grader and gives feedback. You pick the group and company for the project at the beginning of semester. Prof. not mean, just stern and approachable.

lots of class activities, you cannot miss. He is a tough cookie.

Super nice guy, two projects that last over the semester with the same group. Midterm and final have a cheat sheet and directly follow the study guide. No textbook, little homework and quizzes. You have to go to class and participate but if you do you will get an A or A-

I had some mixed feelings on the beginning of the class as it seemed that professor Shirley liked to talk about himself a lot - that did not change but my perception of it did. He is inspiring, has a great, sarcastic sense of humor and he is fair. Come in to class and you will learn a lot. Participate in the class and you will get an A. Great Man!

summer 22 Excellent professor 1 of the better professors I've had at SJSU. Friendly and personable, he is also stern. If he catches you not being a good audience member during presentations, he will call u out. It was clear to me that he knew his stuff well. If u pay attention and do the work u can easily get an A. Gives good career advice.

he's sarcastic yet always willing to help and provide good feedback. your grade and level of stress in this class will mainly depend on the long semester group project, so be aware and choose yourself a good group! i put myself into a group full of dumb and annoying ppl, so i feel stressed whole semester... learn from me guys!

Take him if you want to learn something new from this class. I would say he is one of the best professors at SJSU.

Professor Shirley is hands down one of my favorite professors at San Jose. All his classes are straightforward. As long as you do the work/ come to class, you'll end in a good grade. He genuinely cares about his students and will take the time to help when needed. Gives great career advice and shares interesting stories about his life. Take him!

What I liked the best about professor Shirley's class is that we had a midterm, as well as a final presentation due for class and they included a lot of slides, and the professor taught us how to do each slide, during each class so unless you really did not pay attention, you would have most things ready before the presentation. I highly recommend!

easy midterm and final exams, if there are certain questions that only under 60% students get it right, he will curve and add extra points for whoever gets it wrong. very nice and understanding professor! GOAT

Took this class over winter which was only 3 weeks, though it was very fast pace but Professor Shirley was very helpful through the whole course. He provided lots of feedbacks of the projects, and walked us through the difficult parts of it in class. I would definitely recommend taking him, 10/10 professor!!

Great Professor with very organized curriculum. Straightforward exams, if you go to lecture. Group project class.

Took this course during the winter session and enjoyed Professor Shirley a lot. He is very kind and respectful. This course was a lot of work, but he made it easy and manageable. The class had quizzes before class, in class exercises, and a group project. He provides extra credit which helps boosts your grade. Definitely recommend this professor.

Every class is fun and prepares you to strategize and communicate exceptionally. He's genuine and intelligent while choosing to make time for resume advice, interview coaching, and unique tools to better student's futures. Wants everyone to succeed and his classes will uncover business gems if you're lucky to take his class.

He has a vested interest in student success. His curriculum is designed to prepare students for the reality of professional work. Make an effort to understand the practical applications of the course material. Comprehend, rather than memorize for your presentations, and use his critiques to build a stronger project, and the course will be a breeze.

Class is engaging. Easy work. Study for exams. He shares professional experiences and insight in lectures that actually translate to real world. He makes his grading criteria and expectations very clear from the beginning. He can come off a little harsh, but he's one of the only few professors that can prepare you on what to expect after college.

Very inspiring professor that truly wants students to succeed. His lectures are good and homework, projects, and exams are not too hard as long as you pay attention in class and read. Reading isn't time consuming either. My advice to new students is PARTICIPATE. Having an open dialogue about the topics covered makes lecture way more fun/interesting

Professor Shirley brings insights from his real world experiences working as a partner at arguably the top management consulting firm into the classroom. As long as you put in effort and participate in class (does not have to be everyday), you will get a good grade. Professor Shirley gets excited when he sees his students thrive in class.

Epistemically, I don't understand why this professor received negative reviews. Insofar as you put at least some effort into the course, there should be no problems. Professor Shirley's class was indubitably not only the best class I've taken within SJSU, but also the most intellectually useful. Moreover, Professor Shirley is down to Earth.

Relatable and fair. This class does not take extensive amounts of time to complete any of the class work, reading, projects, etc. A reasonable amount of effort is required in this class but IT IS NOT HARD! Professor has also taken time to offer career advice/guidance and answer any real world questions his students have. This insight is invaluable.

The negative reviews here give off goofy vibes. Ya'll prob need some help if ya'll think this class is hard or ain't fair. This was the best class I've taken at SJSU ong.

Shirley is what I wish all professors were like. He deeply cares about his students and wants to help them, all that is expected in return is respect and effort. The projects he assigns are based on the real world, pushing you to do your schoolwork like it would in a corporate environment. He can be a major asset in your future, utilize him.

One of the best & most important professors I've had in my educational career. Professor Shirley truly cares about his students & wants us to succeed during & outside of his class. To pass: show up, participate, and effortfully do your work (avoid AI)! He generously offers highly valuable information from his impressive portfolio of experience.

His class isn't easy, but it isn't hard either. As long as you read, show up to lectures, and participate you will be more than fine. Not only is he a great lecturer, but also a great tool for career advice. Simply by being nice/respectful and doing my work, he has shown interest in wanting to help me. I already feel I can rely on him as a mentor.

If you care about doing something with your degree, take him! If you don't, leave Prof. Shirley to other students who do. The guy isn't strict or cut throat, he's realistic and an important tool that all of his students should appreciate. He provides valuable & applicable information with each lecture. Additionally, he sets time aside for career Qs

Show up everyday, participate, and value his time. There's no reason anyone should get less than an A in his class if you do those things. Stay off your devices for unrelated work, this man has a resume that deserves all of our attention. It's an honor and privilege to be able to take his class - take him if you can. A true SJSU hidden gem.

Daily in-class assignments but they are somewhat easy and apply directly to your project. Do well on them & your project presentations will be much easier. Only reason I have a B is because I've been unlucky and needed to miss many classes this semester. Otherwise, easy and great professor. I've learned a lot from him, highly recommend!

Thomas Shirley is a professor I'd recommend to anyone who is actually SERIOUS about learning. Shirley offers lots of educational and real-world information. He is one of the few professors who provides all of his students the tools to become a successful person regardless of major. Not the easiest, but not hard, nothing easy is worth doing anyways.

Shirley is one of my favorite professors I've ever had at SJSU. He genuinely cares about his students and his lectures are actually quite entertaining if you pay attention and all his assignments are relatively pretty easy. I barely studied for the tests but still managed to get decent grades by paying attention to his lectures. Love this Guy.

The guy is good, I payed attention in class. He was an easy graded for presentations, you have to do insanely bad to get a bad grade in presentations and even then it was half the presentation grade (he gave you some points just for attempting). This was a Winter course so you are expected to do a lot of work everyday. This was an Online class.

Professor Shirley's BUS189 class is engaging and well-structured. He provides valuable career guidance and uses interactive exercises to reinforce key concepts. Leveraging tools like unstuckstudy alongside the textbook helped me excel in this course.

I have taken him for this class and 187. His lectures are super engaging and motivating. If you want to learn and participate, he will advocate for you and your academic and professional career. The two presentations are extremely helpful in gaining teamwork skills and are relevant to the class topics.

One of the best professors I've had at sjsu so far. His lectures were never boring and was easy to understand. Lots of class activities so do not miss class. Exams were somewhat ok but he curved the grades at the end. Group project was a debate which wasn't too bad but make sure you're in a good group. Overall an awesome professor! Take him!

Had Prof. Shirley for 160 and 187, overall an amazing teacher and a very fair grader. To anyone who rated him poorly, I can only assume you do not like his rules (no phones in class) or you simply did not go to class. Weekly homework, quizzes, two presentations, and two tests, no final. No one should get less than a B in this class...

Class was well structured, with few activities every class making it engaging and not just lecture based. Professor Shirley was an amazing educator and provided us with advice of real world experiences. With no doubt I would take another class of his. Class work was also very manageable and not too heavy as long as you put effort you'll do fine.

You'll thrive if you genuinely participate & engage with the lectures/groups. He drops 5 lowest in-class activities (OK to miss a class sometimes), curves exams (no final) & offers extra credit. He is very passionate, which is intimidating for some, but I promise he is very receptive and understanding to student questions/feedback!

There's two things you need to understand in order to get a good grade. Don't be lazy and don't cheat in the class. If you work hard you will see positive results at the end of the semester. Professor Shirley will give you real life advice as well in his classes so take advantage of this opportunity and keep growing.

2 midterms that weren't hard at all. 2 group presentations and weekly quizzes that require lockdown + webcam. During the presentations he might ask you questions based on your slides which could be stressful, but as long as you understand your topic, you should be fine. Overall a very easy/lenient grader for all of the assignments.

Professor Shirley is one of the most engaging and passionate instructors I've had at SJSU. Class participation is necessary, he curves exams, and even offers extra credit. Though his intensity can be intimidating at first, he's incredibly approachable, open-minded, and always receptive to feedback. He genuinely wants you to succeed.

BEST PROFESSOR! He's intimidating at first and there seems to be a lot of work, but as the semester goes on it genuinely gets better. The two exams we had were fairly easy and we were given a lot of time for the two group projects. He genuinely cares about his students and I would say that I learned the most from him in my three years in SJSU.

Amazing Professor. I would highly recommend this course, as students are able to learn valuable skills needed not only for business, but also career wise. The class is structured so that students are able to collaborate with one another. Always open to discussions and questions.

I 100% vouch that Professor Shirley truly cares about his students and their future careers. He brings real-world experience into class, encourages thoughtful discussion, and offers valuable career advice. He creates a supportive learning environment and genuinely wants students to succeed. Genuinely one of the most impactful professors I have had.

I had this professor for Bus3 160 and Bus5 187, and he truly stood out. He may seem strict at first, but he genuinely cares about his students and their success. His lectures feel more like a TED Talk than a typical class, and he focuses on real-world skills that prepare you for life beyond college. One of the best professors I've had at SJSU.

Easily one of the best teachers I've had. Take him if you need this course or want to build professional skills that will help you in life. This professor gave me confidence!

One of the best professors I've ever had. Just show up and participate, group projects throughout the semester but aren't hard. Just show up and enjoy! Learned very much this semester.

Professor Shirley is an awesome professor! He is admittedly a little scary at first, but if you pay attention in his class and show you're willing to learn, he gives you the same positive attitude. He offers a lot of good advice to students and helps you shape up for the career path you want to take. Overall a cool and organized professor!

Professor Shirley was a fun teacher to have through the semester. Although he and the course may seem frightening at first, he does it purely at first to show the standards that would be needed to get a good grade in the class. Participation matters heavily and there are two big group activities through the year, for both you would present too.

This class is a great choice if you want to learn. Professor Shirley may seem a little strict, but he is that way because he genuinely cares about his students. He wants what is best for you and tries to prepare you for real life scenarios. Make sure to pay attention, complete your work, and cite your sources, and you will do well.